President William Ruto has jetted out of the country to attend the 23rd Summit of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa in Bujumbura, Burundi.
According to State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohammed, the Rutoo will engage in high-level discussions aimed at cementing Kenya’s multilateral relations with other strategic partners across various fields of mutual interest.
‘’During his visit, the President will engage in high-level discussions aimed at bolstering Kenya’s relationships with key strategic partners, with a particular focus on strengthening regional value chains to deepen COMESA integration.’’
Moreover the Summit will seek to address key areas of trade within the Eastern and Southern Africa region.
Among the main discussions will revolve around the extension of sugar safeguard measures to improve the product market within the region.
The president is set to further seek support for Kenya to gain the hosting rights of the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) Secretariat, which unites three regional economic communities.
He will also utilitise the foreign trip to Bujumbura to meet and hold discussions with several presidents from the African continent.
Among those lined up for meetings on the sidelines of the summit are President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Zambia’s Hakainde Hichilema.
President Ruto will also meet the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed where he is set to engage him on matters of enhancing Kenya-Egypt partnership in areas revolving around trade.
He will furthermore engage in bilateral talks with Zambia’s President on avenues to facilitate trade between Kenya and Zambia.
The talks with Hakainde will also focus on the formation of a Joint Trade Committee to address and resolve non-tariff barriers between Kenya and Zambia.
